304:, about 16 kilometers west of central Shimonita Town. The three large-scale facilities built from 1905 to 1912, and have the largest storage capacity in Japan, capable of storing 1.1 million silkworm eggs. The No. 1 wind cave had a frontage of 7 meters and a depth of 3.5 meters, the No. 2 wind cave had a frontage of 11.5 meters and a depth of 3.5 meters, and the No. 3 wind cave had a frontage of 8 meters and a depth of 3.5 meters. The storehouses built on top of these wind caves were all three-story structures with clay-covered walls. There are no buildings left at present, but the masonry remains intact, and cold air continues to blow out from the walls at a temperature of around 2 deg C year round. It is located about 25 minutes by car from
191:
297:
temperature is over 20 degrees
Celsius, the temperature in the cave remains a constant couple degrees above freezing. This enabled the number of silkworm "crops" to be produced each year to be increased from one to two or even three, thus greatly contributing to the increase in the production of raw silk cocoons to meet the ever increasing demand. When government control over the silkworm industry was abolished in 1917, 239 such facilities were confirmed nationwide. These facilities remained in use into the middle of the twentieth century, until rendered obsolete with the spread of mechanical refrigeration technology, and most have now disappeared or their exact location is unknown.
293:, Japanese silk was in high demand. In 1862, shortly before the Meiji restoration, raw silk and silkworm cocoons accounted for 86% for Japan's exports. However, soon after the Meiji restoration, overproduction, and the recovery of silk producing areas in Europe and China led to a drastic fall in raw silk prices. The Meiji government countered by changing its focus to silk products, such as silk thread and cloth, to increase the value of its silk exports. The opening of the Tomioka Silk Mill in 1872 saw a boom in sericulture in Gunma Prefecture and surrounding areas, and the raising of silkworms became the primary activity for many farmers.
161:
316:
Japan. Ice and snow were also used to cool the silkworm eggs, and according to the photographs and field surveys at that time, there was a management building and two large and small storages, and the large No. 1 wind cave was on the second basement floor surrounded by masonry around the cold air outlet. The building consisting of one floor above ground, and two basement floors which was used for ice storage. The building no longer exists, but the masonry of the wind cave and the cornerstone of the office remain.
36:
198:
168:
511:
284:
needed export products to raise the monies necessary for the industrialization and westernization of Japan. Goods which were already produced in Japan and which could be exported for good profit included tea, silk thread and silkworm cocoons. Especially with the spread of the silkworm disease called
315:
The
Azumaya Cold Storage facility in Nakanojō is located at an elevation of 680 meters at the northern foot of Mount Higashitani, 6 kilometers northeast of the town. It was built in 1906 was capable of storing over 100,000 trays of silk worm eggs, making it one of the largest regional wind caves in
296:
In order to adjust the hatching time of silkworms, a number of wind caves were modified for use as natural refrigerators for cold storage of silkworm eggs. Cool air is produced by wind passing through rock crevices filled with snow accumulated over winter. Even in the summer when the outside
748:
730:
699:
609:
540:
725:
190:
640:
720:
663:
160:
470:
774:
266:
111:
599:
743:
630:
548:
500:
463:
530:
330:
769:
566:
456:
479:
325:
300:
The
Arafune Cold Storage facility in Shimonita is located on a slope along a stream at an elevation of about 840 meters near the border of
65:
645:
779:
571:
46:
262:
104:
354:
789:
25:
784:
694:
681:
96:
495:
654:
438:
72:
689:
510:
258:
145:
250:
673:
581:
305:
301:
290:
277:
242:
749:
Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of
Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island
535:
522:
404:
281:
254:
246:
51:
309:
591:
558:
531:
Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and
Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land
443:
35:
763:
635:
622:
576:
350:
448:
238:
650:
604:
286:
126:
113:
738:
433:
428:
487:
400:
726:
Sacred Island of
Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region
176:
Location of
Arafune-Azumaya Cold Storage Facilities in Gunma Prefecture
375:
85:
712:
379:
657:
55:
452:
197:
167:
721:
Gusuku Sites and
Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
664:
Sacred Sites and
Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
509:
289:
in France and Italy, and the turmoil in China caused by the
261:
and, together with the
Tomioka Silk Mill, inscribed on the
605:
Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration
711:
695:
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape
672:
621:
590:
557:
521:
486:
429:
Tomioka Silk Mill World Heritage Promotion Homepage
103:
91:
81:
71:
61:
45:
24:
230:
205:Arafune-Azumaya Cold Storage Facilities (Japan)
731:Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution:
700:Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution:
610:Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution:
600:Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama
541:Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution:
224:
744:Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
464:
8:
775:Buildings and structures in Gunma Prefecture
733:Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining
702:Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining
612:Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining
543:Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining
232:Arafune-Azumaya fūketsu sanshu chozō sho ato
19:
471:
457:
449:
34:
18:
257:Japan. They are jointly designated as a
631:Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area
342:
331:List of Historic Sites of Japan (Gunma)
220:Arafune-Azumaya Cold Storage Facilities
20:Arafune-Azumaya Cold Storage Facilities
567:The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier
401:"Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites"
376:"Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites"
326:List of World Heritage Sites in Japan
90:
80:
70:
60:
44:
7:
641:Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
434:Tomioka Travel Arafune Cold Storage
267:Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites
66:Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites
16:Building in Gunma Prefecture, Japan
646:Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
237:are natural refrigerators used in
14:
439:Visitor Guide to Gunma Prefecture
265:as part of the serial nomination
196:
189:
166:
159:
146:National Historic Site of Japan
1:
770:World Heritage Sites in Japan
480:World Heritage Sites in Japan
572:Shrines and Temples of Nikkō
180:Show map of Gunma Prefecture
355:Agency for Cultural Affairs
231:
806:
263:UNESCO World Heritage List
27:UNESCO World Heritage Site
690:Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
507:
225:
153:
142:
77:Cultural: (ii), (iv)
33:
682:Hiroshima Peace Memorial
444:Shimonita Town home page
241:in association with the
780:Historic Sites of Japan
549:Jōmon Prehistoric Sites
501:Jōmon Prehistoric Sites
515:
259:National Historic Site
127:36.63389°N 138.87750°E
513:
40:Arafune Cold Storage
239:silkworm production
132:36.63389; 138.87750
123: /
21:
516:
757:
756:
686:
582:Tomioka Silk Mill
577:Ogasawara Islands
306:Shimonita Station
302:Nagano Prefecture
291:Taiping Rebellion
278:Meiji restoration
243:Tomioka Silk Mill
217:
216:
208:Show map of Japan
797:
785:Shimonita, Gunma
734:
703:
684:
613:
544:
536:Shirakami-Sanchi
473:
466:
459:
450:
416:
415:
413:
411:
405:Gunma Prefecture
397:
391:
390:
388:
386:
372:
366:
365:
363:
361:
347:
282:Meiji government
255:Gunma Prefecture
245:in the towns of
236:
234:
228:
227:
209:
200:
199:
193:
181:
170:
169:
163:
138:
137:
135:
134:
133:
128:
124:
121:
120:
119:
116:
52:Gunma Prefecture
38:
28:
22:
805:
804:
800:
799:
798:
796:
795:
794:
790:Nakanojō, Gunma
760:
759:
758:
753:
732:
707:
701:
668:
617:
611:
586:
553:
542:
517:
505:
482:
477:
425:
420:
419:
409:
407:
399:
398:
394:
384:
382:
374:
373:
369:
359:
357:
353:(in Japanese).
351:"荒船・東谷風穴蚕種貯蔵所跡"
349:
348:
344:
339:
322:
310:Joshin Dentetsu
274:
222:
213:
212:
211:
210:
207:
206:
203:
202:
201:
184:
183:
182:
179:
178:
177:
173:
172:
171:
149:
148:
131:
129:
125:
122:
117:
114:
112:
110:
109:
41:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
803:
801:
793:
792:
787:
782:
777:
772:
762:
761:
755:
754:
752:
751:
746:
741:
736:
728:
723:
717:
715:
709:
708:
706:
705:
697:
692:
687:
685:(Genbaku Dome)
678:
676:
670:
669:
667:
666:
661:
648:
643:
638:
633:
627:
625:
619:
618:
616:
615:
607:
602:
596:
594:
588:
587:
585:
584:
579:
574:
569:
563:
561:
555:
554:
552:
551:
546:
538:
533:
527:
525:
519:
518:
508:
506:
504:
503:
498:
492:
490:
484:
483:
478:
476:
475:
468:
461:
453:
447:
446:
441:
436:
431:
424:
423:External links
421:
418:
417:
392:
367:
341:
340:
338:
335:
334:
333:
328:
321:
318:
276:Following the
273:
270:
215:
214:
204:
195:
194:
188:
187:
186:
185:
175:
174:
165:
164:
158:
157:
156:
155:
154:
151:
150:
144:
143:
140:
139:
107:
101:
100:
93:
89:
88:
83:
79:
78:
75:
69:
68:
63:
59:
58:
49:
43:
42:
39:
31:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
802:
791:
788:
786:
783:
781:
778:
776:
773:
771:
768:
767:
765:
750:
747:
745:
742:
740:
737:
735:
729:
727:
724:
722:
719:
718:
716:
714:
710:
704:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
683:
680:
679:
677:
675:
671:
665:
662:
659:
656:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
636:Himeji Castle
634:
632:
629:
628:
626:
624:
620:
614:
608:
606:
603:
601:
598:
597:
595:
593:
589:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
568:
565:
564:
562:
560:
556:
550:
547:
545:
539:
537:
534:
532:
529:
528:
526:
524:
520:
514:Flag of Japan
512:
502:
499:
497:
494:
493:
491:
489:
485:
481:
474:
469:
467:
462:
460:
455:
454:
451:
445:
442:
440:
437:
435:
432:
430:
427:
426:
422:
406:
402:
396:
393:
381:
377:
371:
368:
356:
352:
346:
343:
336:
332:
329:
327:
324:
323:
319:
317:
313:
311:
307:
303:
298:
294:
292:
288:
283:
279:
271:
269:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
240:
233:
226:荒船・東谷風穴蚕種貯蔵所跡
221:
192:
162:
152:
147:
141:
136:
108:
106:
102:
98:
94:
87:
84:
76:
74:
67:
64:
57:
53:
50:
48:
37:
32:
29:
23:
408:. Retrieved
395:
383:. Retrieved
370:
358:. Retrieved
345:
314:
299:
295:
275:
219:
218:
130: /
118:138°52′39″E
105:Coordinates
95:2014 (38th
92:Inscription
764:Categories
360:August 20,
337:References
280:, the new
115:36°38′02″N
739:Yakushima
496:Shiretoko
247:Shimonita
82:Reference
655:Furuichi
488:Hokkaido
320:See also
272:Overview
251:Nakanojō
73:Criteria
47:Location
674:Chūgoku
308:on the
287:pébrine
97:Session
62:Part of
713:Kyushu
623:Kansai
523:Tōhoku
410:25 May
385:25 May
380:UNESCO
660:Group
658:Kofun
592:Chūbu
559:Kantō
56:Japan
651:Mozu
412:2015
387:2015
362:2020
249:and
86:1449
766::
403:.
378:.
312:.
253:,
229:,
54:,
653:-
472:e
465:t
458:v
414:.
389:.
364:.
235:)
223:(
99:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.